“This long walk between two elegant Worcestershire market towns on the banks of the Avon is set in the heart of the Vale of Evesham, famous for its market gardens and fruit growing and Cotswolds views. The towns are surrounded by stunning countryside and set in the shadow of Bredon Hill, a 5 km long outlier of the Cotswolds. The route passes through the Abbey Precinct in Evesham and follows the Avon to pick up a tributary, the Isbourne to follow it through the Vale of Evesham to Sedgeberrow.
You walk through pastures to Dumbleton and rise through a beautiful clump of minor hills past Dumbleton Hall, a large Country Estate and descend through woods back into the valley, heading for the impressive Bredon Hill, a 5 km long range rising above the lunch destination, Ashton under Hill.
The post-lunch ascent is of the tiered kind, revealing ever further views south along the Cotswold Escarpment down the Vale of Gloucester. On a clear day, you’ll see the Black Mountains in the Brecon Beacons and eventually, from the Iron Age hillfort site at the top of Bredon Hill, the imposing Malvern Hills range 20 km to the west. Descend through woods and pastures, pick up the Avon for a short stretch and reach Pershore, also graced with an abbey. The station though is some way beyond the far end of town.”
7 comments:
Anyone want to do a day trip from London to join the walk on 6 September (Saturday) from Pershore to Evesham?
The 8.50 train is showing as cancelled on Trainline and GWR website!
Yes. Starts from Worcester due to 'staff shortages'. Next one: 9.59
Or take the 9.12 to Worcester and have a wee nosey for 40 mins
Well, well, well.
So the train out was cancelled, and we took the next Birmingham train to Worcester to have a sightseeing 35 minutes (Cathedral, Guildhall, the Severn River, the pedestrianised main street) and got back on the next train to Pershore, where we met the walkers that had always planned a short walk.
Of the 15 of yesterday we lost the 2 local friends of SWCees, but gained 2 late arrivals, so again n=15 on a w=warm-and-largely-sunny-day.
We quickly split into a main group of 11, with 2 others walking at their own, slower pace and 2 walking some self concocted version of the walk (neither of which the 11 saw again).
A diversion was needed in the Avon Meadows due to a rotten boardwalk, and then - upon prompting of a proper SWC stalwart - we went into Pershore Abbey, which was rather brilliant.
We were intrigued by sheep nibbling on what looked like cabbage, had a break in Great Comberton for food, drink, stretches and Tai Chi, then ascended the one big climb of the day onto Bredon Hill, where we had brilliant views, out to Sugarloaf and the Beacons, Birmingham's skyline, and the Severn Plain in-between.
We got to the Star Inn minutes after the kitchen had closed, so nuts and crisps were had all round.
Some punters had set out to finish here and take the bus, but the walk poster's call for 'walkers' to get ready to move on, and 'tourists' to stay, encouraged them to also walk on. No one wants to be a 'tourist', it seems...
We then had a forageing extravaganza along a lane with apple, pear, plum, sloe and dansom trees with berries as well. And then the leader spotted a sheep in distress, which had entangled 2 of her legs in a wire fence, in a way that didn't look easy to resolve.
The SWC A&E team sprung into action and (I spare you the details) half an hour later the sheep was freed and limping away.
Onwards and upwards the Dumbledon Hills, which is a rather lovely stretch. The churchyard has the grave of Patrick Leigh Fermor and the front group then landed into the tail end of the village fete in Dumbleton where we snaffled the last of the cake (we were ravenous by then).
On to Sedgeberrow for the 18.28 bus. 26 km of the walk for this group, plus 3 to 4 km in Worcester. A rather full day for most.
Dinner at Casa on Evesham's main street. On the 21.40 back to Malvern.
Seen: loads of pheasants and some partridges, highland cows, buzzards
Addendum/correction: the Worcester dweller got the posted train, as that's where it started from, not knowing no one else was on it, started alone, was caught by the group on the far fringe side Pershore and then did the whole route, all 34 km of it. 21.40 train for her and about half the group, the others taking the last train home, at 22.40. Longest group dinner ever?
In fact, the four who had already been left behind by the group before the meadows stuck together all day - there was no concocting of alternatives. Admittedly we didn’t follow the route through Pershore religiously and progress was slow - and we stopped for two to buy lunch at an excellent-looking bakery.
Some were very tired after yesterday and we stopped for picnic lunch less than half way up Bredon Hill at about 1.30. We got to Ashton 10 minutes before the 1617 bus. Two found a beer festival at the Red Lion in Evesham, the others back to Malvern for home cooked dinner.
Post a Comment